She spent ten years as a nurse in clinical practice before moving into nursing management. She became a director of Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust in 1998. In 2002 she moved to Birmingham, taking up her current post in 2006.[2]

In April 2011 she was named as the 28th highest paid employee (£212 500) in the English NHS.[3] and in 2015 was said to be the 31st most influential person in the English NHS.[4]

Dame Julie takes is currently associate non executive director at Worcestershire acute hospitals NHS trust when she joined on the 1st October 2018 for an initial period of six months. Her remuneration is £6,147 pro rata.